Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#36971
Common Spreadwing - Lestes australis - male

Common Spreadwing - Lestes australis - Male
Williamson County, Texas, USA
November 9, 2005
This was our first clear observation (and photograph) of the smaller spreadwing which has shown up at the pond in the past few weeks. Both males and one female were seen, the female laying eggs in a withered leaf of water iris. The identification as _Lestes disjunctus_ is based on the description and photograph in _Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States, by Dr. John Abbott.

This individual perched on various low sites--grasses, twigs, iris leaf--and was routinely hassled by the larger Great Spreadwing and several Yellow-legged Meadowhawks when it flew over the pond itself. Meanwhile, the female came to the underside of a bent withered water iris leaf and began laying her eggs.

Moved
Moved from Common Spreadwing.

Odonata Central does not list
this species for Texas, so we're moving them to australis per Nick's comment. Maybe the confusion is whether australis is a species on its own or a subspecies of disjunctus

 
You're right...
...that was certainly a discussion back in 2005...later, Dr. Abbott came down on the side of "separate species" and that's how Odonata Central is treating it now. However, the info I had at the time didn't offer me that choice. Glad you've moved it, since I forgot it was mis-listed and thus did not correct it myself. Sorry.

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.